Kimmage puts boot in to Oprah

Journalist Paul Kimmage, a former Tour de France rider and long-time critic of Lance Armstrong, was so frustrated by Oprah Winfrey’s line of questioning of the drugs cheat that he said he “wanted to put (his) boot through the television”.

Armstrong admitted doping in all seven of his Tour de France victories in his interview with the American talk show host which aired in the early hours of this morning in the UK.

But former Tour de France rider Kimmage, from Ireland, questioned why Winfrey had not challenged Armstrong to expand on his comment that “there are things which were a little shady” in relation to the sport’s world governing body the UCI.

He said: “I thought she started brilliantly and up to the fourth minute it was superb, which raised my expectations.

“After that it went downhill quickly. She dropped the ball on three important points and by the end of it I just wanted to put my boot through the television.

“Had she asked the logical questions it would have done a lot more for the sport.

“When he mentioned shady dealings with the UCI, the logical follow-up question is to ask about those shady dealings. Instead it was all very cosy and she let him off the hook.”

Kimmage said he was left with the feeling that Armstrong had little or no contrition for what he had done.

He added: “It was obvious that this guy had just one regret and that was that he was caught. He doesn’t give a damn about anyone except Lance Armstrong.

“If he really wants to help the sport he needs to present himself at (United States Anti-Doping Agency chief executive) Travis Tygart’s door and give a full account of what he did and who helped him.

“That’s the only way he can do the sport any service now and repair the damage he has done.”